Expect lane closures on Maryland’s newest toll road

The first section of Maryland’s Intercounty Connector toll road has only been open since February but will see temporary lane closures during the next few weeks. The road itself is in good shape, but three bridges that carry other roadways over it are undergoing repairs.

Recent inspections found hairline cracks on several concrete piers of the bridges that carry Emory Lane, Needwood Road and Georgia Avenue over the toll road in Montgomery County.

“The contractor has been directed to immediately begin making short-term modifications and develop the plan for further long-term corrective actions,” ICC project director Melinda Peters of the Maryland State Highway Administration said in a statement. The state ordered the designer and contractor to pick up the tab for the repairs.

Drivers should be on the alert for temporary signage and flagging operations for at least the next two weeks according to the agency. The three affected bridges will remain open during the repair modifications.

The Intercounty Connector is a $2.6 billion toll road being constructed in sections through Montgomery and Prince George counties. Eventually, the roadway will connect Interstate 95 with I-270/I-370.

Toll rates for five-axle trucks on the first section range from $3.40 during overnight hours to $6.80 during off-peak daytime hours and $8.50 during peak drive times.

Maryland tollways are on the expensive side for truckers.

The Maryland Transportation Authority, which operates 70 miles of tolled bridges, tunnels and roadways in the state, recently doubled the $15 truck toll to $30 on the Bay Bridge, also known as the William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge on U.S. 50/301.

Truck tolls on the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, which is part of I-95, increased from $30 to $36. Those tolls will jump to $48 in July 2013.

The toll increases are part of a master plan to raise money for transportation projects, which include completion of the Intercounty Connector.